"She was actually being compliant, she was listening to instructions, so there was at that point no reason to keep her handcuffed," said Rutland Police Officer John Sly.

Berube later said she found a knife laying on the floor, saw the keys on the officer's belt and wanted to unlock her husband's cell.

"And quietly exited the interview room, came up behind the officer, at which point she put the knife to the officer's throat," said Sly.

Police say she cut officer Damon Nguyen's neck, about an inch from an artery, and said something like, "I'm getting you out of here, babe."

After a brief struggle, she was detained, and the officer was treated for what turned out to be a non-life-threatening cut.

"This was a traumatic event," said Rutland Police Chief James Baker. "What the Rutland City Police Department is thankful for today is that Officer Nguyen is OK."

Now -- police are wondering where exactly the knife came from and why it was in the interview room.

"We owe it to our officers to do a review of this, to figure out if it's a policy issue, a training issue, whatever the issue may have been, we'll figure out what that is and take the steps to repair it," said Baker.

After the attack, police say Berube told them she is a heroin addict. She also told them her husband said he would kill himself before going back to jail again.

The court is reviewing surveillance footage of the incident, and will then make ruling on bail.